Chair with collapsible seat back

ABSTRACT

A chair comprising a seat back assembly pivotably mounted to a seat assembly for selective movement between a first, upright position and a second, collapsed position. The chair can be provided with a latching mechanism for securing the seat back assembly in the first, upright position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/036,879, filed Feb. 28, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/308,632, filed Feb. 26, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The invention generally relates to a chair for use in a commercial or residential office setting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

According to an embodiment of the invention, a chair comprises a seat support, a seat back and a latch assembly. The seat back is pivotably coupled with the seat support such that the seat back can be selectively pivoted relative to the seat support, while the seat support remains stationary relative to a surface supporting the chair, between a first position in which the seat back is inclined relative to the seat support and a second position in which the seat back is substantially collapsed adjacent to the seat support. The latch assembly comprises at least one engaging member provided on the seat support or the seat back and at least one receiving member provided on the other of the seat support or the seat back, the at least one engaging member being biased towards the at least one receiving member such that the at least one engaging member engages the at least one receiving member to secure the seat back in the first position. The seat back can be selectively moveable from the first position to the second position by moving the at least one engaging member against the bias to disengage the at least one engaging member from the at least one receiving member and wherein movement of the seat back from the second position to the first position reengages the at least one engaging member with the at least one receiving member to secure the seat back in the first position without movement of the seat support relative to the surface supporting the chair.

According to another embodiment, the chair further comprises a pair of armrests coupled with the seat support such that the pair of armrests do not move relative to the seat support when the seat back is moved between the first and second positions. Alternatively, the chair can comprise a pair of armrests moveably coupled with the seat support and the seat back such that the armrests move relative to the seat support when the seat back is moved between the first and second positions.

According to another embodiment, one of the seat support and the seat back comprises a bearing pin and the other of the seat support and the seat back comprises an aperture for receiving the bearing pin for pivotably coupling the seat support with the seat back.

According to yet another embodiment, the at least one engaging member further comprises at least one biasing member for biasing the at least one engaging member towards the at least one receiving member. The at least one biasing member can be a spring.

According to another embodiment, the at least one engaging member comprises a resilient material that is formed such that the at least one engaging member is biased toward the at least one receiving member. The at least one engaging member can be integrally formed with the seat. The resilient material can be a polymeric material.

According to another embodiment, the at least one receiving member comprises a recess and the at least one engaging member comprises a detent configured to be retained within the recess.

According to another embodiment, the latch assembly can comprise a single engaging member and a single receiving member. Alternatively, the latch assembly can comprise a first and second engaging member and a first and second receiving member for engaging the first and second engaging members, respectively

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the chair of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the chair of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective of the chair of FIG. 1 in a collapsed position according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the chair of FIG. 5 according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the chair of FIG. 5 according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective of the chair of FIG. 5 in a collapsed position according to an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a chair 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The chair 10 can be used in any commercial or residential setting, such as a commercial office or a home office, although the chair 10 is not limited to these uses and can be used in any setting desired by a user. The chair 10 comprises a base 12 coupled with a seat assembly 14. A seat back assembly 16 can be coupled with the seat assembly 14.

The seat assembly 14 can comprise a seat support 18 and a seat 20, which can be in the form of a cushion. The seat assembly 14 can also comprise a pair of armrests 22 which can be selectively adjusted vertically relative to the seat assembly 14, as is known in the art.

The seat back assembly 16 can comprise a support frame 24 supporting a seat back 26. The support frame 24 can be made from any suitable material, such as metal or plastic. The seat back 26 can be any suitable material such as a textile fabric or a mesh material that is stretched across a space defined by the support frame 24. In another example, the seat back 26 can be a cushion coupled with the support frame 24. Alternatively, the seat back 26 can be made from the same material as the support frame 24 such that the seat back assembly comprises a single plastic or metal piece.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, the base 12 can comprise a plurality of legs 28 coupled with a central support 30 that the seat assembly 14 is mounted on. As can best be seen in FIG. 3, the central support 30 is coupled with a mounting bracket 32 which can be secured to the seat assembly 14 using any suitable mechanical fastener, such as a screw, for example. The central support 30 can be capable of selective vertical movement relative to the base 12 through a height adjuster 34 provided for adjusting the height of the seat assembly 14 relative to the surface the chair 10 is positioned on, as is known in the art. The central support 30 can be pivotably mounted with the mounting bracket 32 such that the tilt of the seat assembly 14 can be selectively adjusted through the use of a tilt adjuster 36. In addition, each of the legs 28 can be coupled with a caster 38, as is known in the art.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the seat back assembly 16 can be pivotably coupled with the seat assembly 14 through a pivot assembly 40. The pivot assembly 40 can comprise a bearing pin 42 that extends through an aperture 44 in the seat assembly 14 and is received by an aperture 46 in the seat back assembly frame 24 that is aligned with the aperture 44 in the seat assembly 14 and a washer 43. The seat back assembly 16 can rotate about the bearing pin 42 from a first, upright position, in which the seat back assembly 16 is inclined relative to the seat assembly 14, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, to a second, collapsed position, in which the seat back assembly 16 is substantially collapsed adjacent to the seat assembly 14, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the seat back assembly 16 can be selectively secured in the first, upright position by a latch assembly 50 coupled with a rear portion of the seat assembly 14. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the latch assembly 50 comprises an engaging member in the form of a spring mounted latch 52 having a detent 54. The latch assembly 50 can include a pair of biasing members 56, which bias the latch 52 upwards towards the seat back assembly 16. The seat back assembly 16 can comprise a receiving member in the form of a recess 58 in a lower portion of the frame 24 which is aligned with the latch assembly 50 when the seat back assembly 16 is in the first, upright position.

When the seat back assembly 16 is in the first, upright position, the biasing members 56 bias the latch 52 upwards towards the seat back assembly 16 such that the detent 54 engages the frame 24 through the recess 58. When the latch 52 is pressed downwards, against the bias of the biasing members 56, the detent 54 disengages the frame 24. When the detent 54 is disengaged from the frame 24, the seat back assembly 16 can be pivoted about the bearing assembly 40 to the second, collapsed position shown in FIG. 4. To bring the seat back assembly 16 back into the first, upright position, the user can pivot the seat back assembly 16 in a rearward direction into the upright position. As the seat back assembly 16 moves into the upright position, the lower portion of the frame 24 engages the detent 54 of the latch 52, pressing the latch 52 downwards against the bias of the biasing members 56. As the seat back assembly 16 is moved into the fully upright position, the recess 58 becomes aligned with the latch 52 and the latch 52 snaps upward from the bias of the biasing members 56 such that the detent 54 is engaging the recess 58. In this manner, the seat back assembly 16 is secured in the upright position.

While the chair 10 is described as comprising a single of latch assembly 50, the chair 10 can include any number of latch assemblies. For example, the chair 10 can comprise a pair of latch assemblies 150.

FIG. 5 illustrates a chair 110 that is similar to the chair 10 except in the manner in which a seat back assembly 116 of the chair 110 folds from a first, upright position to a second, collapsed condition. Therefore, elements of the chair 110 similar to those of the chair 10 will be numbered with the prefix 100.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, the chair 110 comprises a base 112 coupled with a seat assembly 114 and a seat back assembly 116 coupled with the seat assembly 114. The seat assembly 114 can comprise a seat support 118 and a seat 120, which can be in the form of a cushion. The seat assembly 114 can also be coupled with a pair of armrests 122. Each armrest 122 can be pivotably coupled with the seat back assembly 116 at a first end by a bearing pin 62 (FIG. 7) and pivotably coupled at a second end with a support arm 70 by a bearing assembly 64 comprising a bearing pin, washer and one or more bushings. The support arm 70 is also pivotably coupled at a second, lower end with the seat assembly 114.

The seat back assembly 116 can comprise a seat back 126, which can be made of plastic or metal. It is also within the scope of the invention for the seat back assembly 116 to comprise a support frame similar to that described above for the chair 10 for supporting any suitable material such as a textile fabric or a mesh material that is stretched across a space defined by the support frame or a cushion. The seat back assembly 116 can also comprise a seat back mounting plate 72 for coupling the seat back 126 to the arm rests 122 and the seat assembly 114. The mounting plate 72 can be coupled with the seat back 126 through a pair of brackets 74 using one or more mechanical fasteners.

Still referring to FIGS. 5-7, the base 112 can comprise a plurality of legs 128 coupled with a central support 130 that the seat assembly 114 is mounted on. The central support 130 can be coupled with the seat assembly 114 using any suitable mechanical fastener, such as one or more screws, for example. The central support 130 can be capable of selective vertical movement relative to the base 112 through a height adjust 134 for adjusting the height of the seat assembly 114 relative to the surface the chair 110 is positioned on, as is known in the art. The central support 130 can be pivotably mounted with the seat assembly 114 such that the tilt of the seat assembly 114 can be selectively adjusted through the use of a tilt adjuster 136. In addition, each of the legs 128 can be coupled with a caster 138, as is known in the art.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 7, the seat back assembly 116 can be pivotably coupled with the seat assembly 114 through a pivot assembly 140. The pivot assembly 140 can comprise a bearing pin 142 that extends through an aperture 144 in the seat assembly 114 and is received by an aperture in the mounting plate 72 that is aligned with the aperture 144 in the seat assembly 114. The seat back assembly 116 can rotate about the bearing pin 142 from a first, upright position, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, to a second, collapsed position, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIG. 6-8, the seat back assembly 116 can be selectively secured in the first, upright position by a pair of latch assemblies 150. Each latch assembly 150 can comprise a resilient latch 152 formed in a rear portion of the seat support 118. The latch 152 can be made from any suitable type of polymeric material. As illustrated, the latch 152 can be integrally formed with the rear portion of the seat support 118. The latch 152 can be formed so as to be biased in a rearward direction. Each latch 152 can comprise a detent 154 that can be received by a recess in a lower portion of the seat back mounting plate 72 which is aligned with each of the latch assemblies 150 when the seat back assembly 116 is in the first, upright position.

When the seat back assembly 116 is in the first, upright position, the resilient latches 152 are biased in a rearward direction such that the detents 154 engage the recesses in the seat back mounting plate 72. When the latches 152 are selectively depressed by a user, the detents 154 are moved in a forward direction, disengaging the seat back mounting plate 72. When the detents 154 are disengaged, the seat back assembly 116 can be pivoted about the bearing assembly 140 to the second, collapsed position. To bring the seat back assembly 116 back into the first, upright position, the user can pivot the seat back assembly 116 in a rearward direction into the upright position. As the seat back assembly 116 moves into the upright position, the lower portion of the seat back mounting plate 72 engages the detents 154 of the latches 152, pressing the latches 152 forwards. As the seat back assembly 116 is moved into the fully upright position, the recesses in the seat back mounting plate 72 become aligned with the latches 152 and the latches 152 resiliently snap backward into the original position such that the detents 154 are engaging the recesses in the seat back mounting plate 72. In this manner, the seat back assembly 116 is secured in the upright position.

The armrests 122 are coupled with the seat back assembly 116 and the seat assembly 114 as described above such that when the seat back assembly 116 is selectively moved between the first, upright position and the second, collapsed position, the armrests 122 also move between a first, upright position and a second, collapsed position, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8.

While the chair 110 is described as comprising a pair of latch assemblies 150, the chair 110 can include any number of latch assemblies. For example, the chair 110 can comprise a single, centrally located latch assembly 150.

It is also within the scope of the invention for any of the components of the chair 10 to be used with any of the components of the chair 110. In one example, the latch assembly 50 can be used with the chair 110. Similarly, the latch assemblies 150 can be used with the chair 10.

The selective movement of the chairs 10 and 110 from a state in which the seat back assembly 16, 116 is in the first, upright position to a state in which the seat back assembly 16, 116 is in the second, collapsed position provides several advantages. For example, the chairs 10 and 110 can be easier and cheaper to ship than traditional office chairs having seat backs that cannot be moved into a collapsed position. A traditional office chair is typically shipped in a disassembled condition in which at least the seat back is not assembled with the base of the chair. This provides an inconvenience to the end user who has to assemble the chair upon arrival before use. This can also provide an inconvenience to the manufacturer as the chair must be designed such that it is easy for the end user to assemble. Alternatively, traditional office chairs can be shipped in larger boxes that accommodate the fully assembled chair, however, this can significantly increase the shipping costs of the chair.

The chairs 10, 110 of the invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing chairs 10, 110 having seat back assemblies 16, 116 that can be folded down into a collapsed state during shipping and then simply moved to the upright position by the end user upon arrival with no assembly required. In addition, the chairs 10 and 110 can easily be moved by a user to the second, collapsed position at any time, for easy storage under a table or desk, further increasing convenience to the user.

In addition, the latching mechanisms 50 and 150 of the chairs 10 and 110, respectively, are simple to assemble from a manufacturing point of view. Both the latching mechanisms 50 and 150 require only one movable piece, the latch 52, 152. The latching mechanism 150 can be integrally molded with seat support 118, requiring even fewer parts that need to be assembled during manufacturing. In addition, in both the latching mechanisms 50 and 150, it is necessary to only move one piece, the latch, 52, 152 before the seat back assembly 16, 116 can be moved between the upright and collapsed positions. Decreasing the number of movable parts saves money and time during manufacturing compared to a latching mechanism in which multiple components must be moved before the seat back assembly 16, 116 can be moved between the upright and collapsed positions. In addition, because the seat back assembly 16, 116 is secured in the upright position by direct engagement of the latching mechanism with the seat back assembly 16, 116, as compared to an indirect engagement through one or more moving parts, less effort is required on the part of the user to disengage the seat back assembly 16, 116 such that it can be moved to the collapsed position.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A chair comprising: a seat support comprising a base portion defining a seat and having first and second side members extending upwardly on opposing sides of the base portion of the seat support, each of the first and second side members having a pivot support member and an armrest at an upper portion thereof; a seat back having first and second pivot support members adapted to be pivotably coupled with an aligned pivot support member on a corresponding one of the first and second side member of the seat support such that the seat back is selectively pivotable relative to the seat support, while the seat support remains stationary relative to a surface supporting the chair, between a first position in which the seat back is inclined relative to the seat support for allowing a user to sit on the seat support and a second position in which the seat back is substantially collapsed adjacent to the seat support; and a latch assembly comprising: at least one engaging member comprising a generally planar handle having a detent extending upwardly therefrom provided on one of a recessed area in a central rearward area of the base portion and in a central lower area of the seat back; and at least one receiving member provided on the other of the seat support and the seat back and having a detent follower surface configured to bear against the detent on the at least one engaging member; wherein the at least one engaging member includes a biasing member to bias the at least one engaging member towards the at least one receiving member such that the at least one engaging member engages the at least one receiving member to secure the seat back in the first position; a pair of armrests moveably coupled with the seat support and the seat back such that the armrests move relative to the seat support when the seat back is moved between the first position to the second position; and wherein the seat back is selectively moveable from the first position to the second position by moving the at least one engaging member against the bias to disengage the at least one engaging member from the at least one receiving member and wherein movement of the seat back from the second position to the first position reengages the at least one engaging member with the at least one receiving member to secure the seat back in the first position without movement of the seat support relative to the surface supporting the chair, and wherein, when the seat back is in the first position, the engagement of the detent of the at least one engaging member with the detent follower of the at least one receiving member is not visible from a rear portion of the chair.
 2. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the at least one engaging member comprises a resilient material that is formed such that the at least one engaging member is biased toward the at least one receiving member.
 3. The chair according to claim 2 wherein the at least one engaging member is integrally formed with the seat support.
 4. The chair according to claim 3 wherein the resilient material is a polymeric material.
 5. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the latch assembly comprises a first and second engaging member and a first and second receiving member for engaging the first and second engaging members, respectively. 